Rapid Prototyping of Inspired Gas Delivery System for Pulmonary MRI Research.

Specific ventilation imaging (SVI) is a noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based method for determining the regional distribution of inspired air in the lungs, useful for the assessment of pulmonary function in medical research. This technique works by monitoring the rate of magnetic resonance signal change in response to a series of imposed step changes in inspired oxygen concentration. The current SVI technique requires a complex system of tubes, valves, and electronics that are used to supply and rapidly switch inspired gases while subjects are imaged, which makes the technique difficult to translate into the clinical setting.